AnadoluIn Beit Lahia, a large part of the city has been destroyed
NOS Nieuws•vandaag, 15:21
According to the Arabic news channel Al Jazeera, thousands of Palestinians are returning to northern Gaza now that Israel has withdrawn some of its troops there. The news channel is in the city of Beit Lahia and sees people returning there. Images from the news channel and photos from news agencies show that part of the city has been completely destroyed.
A Palestinian journalist who works for NOS and The New York Times, among others, confirms that people are indeed returning to the areas that Israel has left. This would mainly concern people who had remained in the center or north of Gaza. It is too dangerous for people who have fled to southern Gaza to return. She does not know how many people have returned now.
Thousands of soldiers withdraw
Yesterday, the Israeli army announced that thousands of soldiers will be withdrawn from this week. As far as we know, this is the largest withdrawal from the area since the start of the war in October. It is not known how many soldiers have already left Gaza.
According to a source within the Israeli army, some of the soldiers are needed for a possible second front on the border with Lebanon. On the northern border with Israel, Hezbollah fighters regularly fire rockets at Israel.
Hezbollah is an ally of Hamas and is supported by Iran. The Israeli army often responds to the shelling with counterattacks. Last week, Prime Minister Netanyahu warned Hezbollah that full-scale war is likely if the shelling does not stop, but Israel has said nothing about any preparation for a second front.
Correspondent Israel and Palestinian Territories Nasrah Habiballah:
“The reason for the withdrawal of Israeli troops is not known. According to army sources, some of those troops are needed for a possible second front on the Lebanese border.
But the importance of the Israeli economy is also mentioned. This has been under considerable pressure since the war in Gaza, partly because many Israelis have been drafted into the army. This, in combination with Palestinians who are no longer allowed to work in Israel, causes significant staff shortages.
Furthermore, the US has long been putting pressure on Israel to reduce its troops due to the high number of deaths in Gaza. Analysts say the withdrawal could indicate that the battle is entering a new, less intensive phase. But according to Israel, the war is far from over.”
The partial withdrawal from Gaza does not mean an end to the violence. Just before the withdrawal was announced, the Israeli army announced that the attacks in the center and south of the Gaza Strip were being scaled up. Heavy fighting and bombing are still ongoing in those areas.
At least 35 people were killed in bombings on Khan Younis this weekend, hospital officials told the AP news agency. There are also heavy fighting going on in Khan Younis at the moment.
The city in southern Gaza is seen by Israel as a Hamas stronghold. The Palestinian Red Crescent says that several people were killed in an attack on his headquarters.
According to the Palestinian Ministry of Health, a total of 207 Palestinians have been killed in Gaza in the past 24 hours. It has not been revealed at which locations this happened.
2024-01-02 14:21:39
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